An American botanist on the Nile: uncovering Asa Gray's plant specimens from his trip to North Africa, 1868–1869

Harvard botanist Asa Gray (1810–1888) has long been celebrated for his many contributions to the floras of North America, Asia, South America, and the Pacific, but never Africa. Recently, specimens collected by Gray in North Africa during a vacation in Egypt on the Nile have now been uncovered in the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University, making him a contributor to the rich flora of that continent. This paper presents these specimens and the trip that led to their collection. Herbarium digitization is also discussed in the context of this research.